1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a quick-chill device employing a refrigeration plant connected to a receptacle by manually detachable hoses. The receptacle is filled with chilled liquid from the refrigeration plant, and, in turn, chills food or beverage containers placed therein. The receptacle can be moved to a remote location, and maintain the containers chilled for extended periods, then be refilled with fresh chilled liquid.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A plethora of large public events today require bulk food products to be served at chilled temperatures. Traditionally this has been accomplished by producing or importing large quantities of ice to the site to be served. Alternatively, large air cooled refrigeration units have been employed to cool the foodstuffs. These conventional foodstuff coolers generally lack sufficient cooling capacity to quickly chill an everchanging foodstuff supply. Additionally, the refrigeration plant typically is typically bulky, and objectionably so for such public gatherings. The ice based method requires large quantities of ice, and further creates problems with the water by-product. All in all, these methods are not cost and space effective in serving the public at large.
One attempt to meet the need of serving public gatherings is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,448, issued to Ronald W. Van Den Heuvel on Dec. 7, 1993. The device described therein includes a refrigeration plant and a chilled liquid bath. Racks are loaded with beverage containers, immersed in the chilled bath, then removed for dispensing the containers. However, containers must be immediately consumed, or they will begin to warm, since the racks have no means for cooling. It is an important feature of the present invention to overcome this limitation.
Refrigerated apparatus having immersion bath chilling for food containers are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,773, issued to Allan J. Cassell on Mar. 9, 1993, 5,237,835, issued to Yves Brochier on Aug. 24, 1993, and EPO Pat. Publication No. 0,174,170, dated Mar. 12, 1986. Cassell features a circulation system, and Brochier describes an insulated reservoir. In each of these examples, the receptacle receiving individual food containers and the chilling medium is integral with and not removable or remote from the device.
Another example is shown in French Pat. Application No. 2,176,551, dated Mar. 23, 1972. The chilling medium is an aqueous solution including glycol, methanol, and butanol.
Additional food chilling apparatuses are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,490, issued to Roger A. Howell on Dec. 7, 1993, and U.K. Patent Application No. 1,541,905, dated Mar. 14, 1979. Howell features openings or ports, which also occur in the present invention. However, Howell's ports are for extracting samples rather than for extension of a chilling medium circuit. The U.K. patent describes a temperature maintenance system. The system described therein is considerably different from the present invention.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.